💡 Lessons From Running Speed Dating Events
- Nicole Book Club
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Every February, as Valentine’s Day approached, my single friends would ask the same question:
"Are you hosting another speed dating night this year?"
🔥 Back when I graduated, I dreamed of building a speed dating business.
The idea of creating connections felt exciting and fun.
So I started organising drinks events in Central, renting out bars, charging an entrance fee that included one drink, and hoping enough singles would show up to cover the costs.
After several rounds, reality set in.
- Renting venues in Central came with a steep minimum spend
- Profitability depended on a high volume of attendees
- Unlike recruitment (where fees are larger and recurring), speed dating revenue was small and a lot more to manage.
And most importantly:
Every event meant finding a new pool of singles, which made scaling nearly impossible.
I eventually decided not to pursue it full-time.
But here’s the truth: I don’t regret it.
Running those events taught me invaluable lessons about business models, scalability, and the difference between passion projects and sustainable ventures.
It also reminded me that sometimes, the best side hustles aren’t about profit.
📩 They’re about the joy of creating experiences, bringing people together, and learning what works (and what doesn’t) in the real world.
Do you have a side hustle?
Is the passion project you are pursuing scalable?
PS: If you’re job hunting today, feel free to check out my guides on:
📝 Fixing Your CV & LinkedIn in 1 Day
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